Mar 15

Mar 15 The Lost Art of the Crosswalk

It seems like every time I stop at a crosswalk because of a pedestrian or rider there is some awkward "no, you go" altercation which always ends in me waiting for the idiot to go. Crosswalks are just that; designated places for you to cross the road by walking. Just do it.

And this is all because of a few stupid and oblivious drivers who, for some reason can't obey the simple courtesy (law) of just letting people cross without fear or hesitation.

It must have stemmed from he silly unnecessary crosswalks planning departments put in, seemingly just to confuse people. Like the ones at lights across the left turning lanes. Why should a car be giving right of way to the guy who's just used the little green man to cross the intersection? It's not a difficult task to judge the speed of slow moving cars, pick a suitable gap and move your legs.

The most annoying thing is that most crosswalks wouldn't be required if we had some common courtesy on the roads in Perth. Like Melbourne, where people walking on a path crossing a side street are given right of way over cars turning left onto that street. I was amazed, being able to trust that the cars will just stop on cue, and carelessly cross the road. No awkward delays, just Soviet efficiency.

I know this is petty, but whatever, guy.

There is one particularly bad spot, the freeway exit onto Mounts Bay Rd. Every morning on the way to uni, cars are held up by weird confrontations between crossers and the crossed. If the crosser just waltzed across and the cars stopped, the time saved could probably cure a few diseases.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, JUST FUCKING CROSS THE ROAD.